Nicki Minaj postpones tour — including Charlotte show — for reasons you might not expect

It had been billed as “a can’t-miss outing for fans of the hit-makers who dominate the modern hip-hop and mainstream charts.”

But it turns out fans of Nicki Minaj and Future not only can miss seeing the rappers this year, they now most certainly will: Less than 2-1/2 months after booking two fall co-headlining shows in North Carolina, Live Nation on Wednesday announced Minaj has postponed the North American leg of her “NICKIHNDRXX” tour, while adding that Future will no longer be a part of the tour.

They were to kick off a run of shows on Sept. 21 in Baltimore and scheduled to perform at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Oct. 14 and uptown Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Oct. 16.

According to Live Nation’s press release, Minaj “decided to reevaluate elements of production” after “her unforgettable VMA performance” on Monday night.

“Nicki has decided to contribute more time to rehearsal ahead of the tour’s launch to make certain her fans get the absolute best quality show that they deserve,” the statement said; it added that the European leg of the tour will launch with already-scheduled dates in February, while the North American leg will now kick off next May, with new dates to be announced soon.

It’s unclear whether Charlotte (or Raleigh) will still be getting the show. Refunds for the previously scheduled North American dates will be available at the point of purchase.

Minaj released her fourth full-length studio album, “Queen,” on Aug. 10.

It’s worth noting that there’s speculation that there might be more to the postponement than meets the eye. The New York Post’s Page Six reported on Tuesday night — a couple hours ahead of the official announcement — that the tour was in danger of being canceled due to weak ticket sales...

This story was originally published August 22, 2018 at 10:55 AM.